Greer Lightspeed - Worth The Hype?! Transparent Organic OverDrive

[@f-bomb5715]

17:37 "...Ladies and people..."🤣 Your conscious mind was confused by the sonic magic of the Lightspeed. Greetings from Spain.

[@BuddyBlues]

😂😂

[@juliancarmichael]

Thank you for playing rhythm as well as lead! So helpful.

[@BuddyBlues]

You're very welcome!

[@dannyllerenatv8635]

I can see where a lot of the hype behind the lightspeed is. It is one of those pedals that is actually "transparent" and can work with pretty much any setup. It is one of my favorite overdrives out there. It is one of those pedals that truly deserves the hype behind it. I have both, a PC Timmy and a PC Tim. The lightspeed is just as good as both of those offerings and it is more attainable as well. I also see why it's probably the most requested pedal on your channel. A lot of people including myself love the way you do reviews. You play through the entire sweep of the pedals and noodle(tastefully of course) while demonstrating it. A lot of us play simply noodling at home(dead guilty right here) so your reviews hit close to home.

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks so much Danny! I try my best to show everything the pedal can do and tell a little story about the person or company behind it. I feel like that connects the audience with the pedal better. Thanks again man

[@dorianford6227]

I bought one and two years ago and haven’t even thought about Overdrives pedals since. It’s absolutely incredible

[@nayaleezy]

my favorite part was when he went "wawa ta ta da daaa wa ta waeawa daaaa". felt it

[@BuddyBlues]

Soulmate

[@michaelstanley6765]

​@@BuddyBlues😂😂😂 Best reply ever!

[@briank9421]

Just got one myself. Same as you, I should have got this a long time ago. It's exactly what my pedalboard needed. Thx for your review/demo!

[@BuddyBlues]

I guess it wasn’t just me then haha! Congrats on your new pedal it has never left my board since I did this demo

[@nickpatsios407]

My three favorite pedals. Fulltone OCD. ,Smart Belle Armadillo and light Speed. Covers every tone you need

[@thesongwritersjourney]

Hey Buddy, you pushed me over the edge to get one of these!!!!

[@BuddyBlues]

Hell ya man!! I hope you love it

[@GeoffByrdMusic]

I loved my .45 caliber from J Rockett but ultimately the Lightspeed took its place on the board. It's just SO good. Now, I just ordered the Southland as a good medium gain to compliment the Lightspeed. Greer drive section = great.

[@aaronsanchez93]

I put my lightspeed last Friday! I’ve always wanted one! But after seeing how you played this had to have one!!

[@emiliano9321]

I´m speechless on your playing, every video you post is getting stupidly funkier. Yeah great pedal too.

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you ❤

[@alexfletcher9915]

Great playing complimented perfectly by the Lightspeed!

[@onevoiceinc]

Thanks for this. I ordered one two days ago after a subscriber to my page raved about it. Super excited about this pedal. I've been running a Tumnus Deluxe, and it's pretty good overall for getting that little bit extra... BUT it does color my tone a bit more. Really hoping this is that pedal that just gives me more of what's coming through the amp already. I'm running a Fender Bassbreaker 30r, so it has all the rock and the clean and all that, but that little bit of extra is what I'm after. Sounds like I'm going to enjoy this one... (and some up-and-coming musician will inherit a nice Tumnus Deluxe for their rig. If so, everybody wins. :)

[@andydinesguitar]

Beastly playing Mr. Blues!🤘🤘🤘

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks! This pedal really inspires

[@billavonda1604]

stunning tone and phrasing. I plan to break down this video and cop as many of your licks as I can. Oh and the pedal is good also

[@BuddyBlues]

It’s not stealing if I’ve already done the stealing before you, enjoy the licks!

[@claessorensson225]

You got one of the best shows on Pedal TV!

[@sglee4708]

I love your videos and your playing you definitely got the mojo and I agree with you I really like that pedal too I've had it for about a year now

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks so much!

[@miguelsassot7921]

Lightspeed family growing, wicked!!!!❤

[@markbridge64]

First time on your channel. Superb young man. Brilliant. Made me smile, laugh and recognise a great talent in you.

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you so much

[@markbridge64]

You are very welcome. Just ordered the kit to build this pedal. Need to learn some of your chops. Superb feel you have. Keep well.

[@BoomBoomBoom..]

Recently bought 2 of the transformer line of Greer Amp pedals,and got the Soma was so impressed I immediately got the British/Vox flavor Greer Royal Velvet. Lightspeed is next. Very cool organic drives.

[@BuddyBlues]

This was my first venture into Greer and certainly not the last

[@mikeyg1829]

Thanks for the review! Not only do you have killer licks and chops, you’re freaking hilarious. Keep’em coming!

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you!

[@azo38]

ahhhhh , well, i just ordered one because you tell its worth the hype (ive no mental ..... 4 pedals bought in a weak) thanks buddie , always loves your videos !!

[@organjoe]

Excellent vid. The Lightspeed is a nice pedal. Probably will keep mine for a long time

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you! Same here. It stays on the board forever

[@heyheymymind1939]

I got mine last week and is really amazing, I regret I didn’t got it years ago

[@BuddyBlues]

Same here

[@evenstephen2000]

Hey, I just got on the Lightspeed train this week! 🥳 Great playing & humor….

[@BuddyBlues]

It’s the best! Thank you

[@BradRocker]

You make that Lightspeed sound excellent !

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks Joe! I think it’s the other way around 😅

[@Guitar_Smasher]

To me, this sounds more impressive than the recent slew of "improved Tube Screamers." I may have to retire my Blues Driver!

[@FatBoy7.3Powerstroke]

Blues Drive, TS808, TS9, SD-1, they all sound very much like static from a tiny box. Finding a pedal that sounds close to a genuine Amp sound is somewhat difficult, There’s countless OD and Gain pedals on the market but very few produce a quality sound under the scrutiny of microphones when being recorded

[@aaronkrohn2195]

Fantastic guitar playing

[@teleandtwin65]

Nice vid. Dig the Albert Collins licks and the way your blend to make them your own.

[@andrewclarkeguitar]

I see a lot of people comparing this thing to the Timmy. I owned a couple of them back in the day and never really bonded with them. After watching this, the Lightspeed seems more up my alley for an OD with a flatter response. It may just be your playing that's swaying me though. Great video.

[@justincrossmusic]

Hey Andrew. Big fan of your vids. Gotta say, the Lightspeed in the only drive that has worked for me with every guitar and amp combo I’ve tried. I’ve always found a use for it. You should get one at least to demo it, but (just my two cents) you’ll probably end up keeping it.

[@BuddyBlues]

Dude you gotta get yourself one of these!

[@BuddyBlues]

@Justin Cross Andrew’s the man. I discovered his channel when I got my Dream 65 and was looking for a proper in depth review

[@andrewclarkeguitar]

@@justincrossmusic I'm quite sure it'll be my next purchase here. I'm not as cool as Buddy where they'll send me one, but it seems like it's worth the investment whether I keep it or make a video and sell it. I appreciate the kind words as well. Cheers! :)

[@haloskater24]

I think you’re one of the best On KZbin, very underrated channel. If you ever get your hands on a Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop V1 or V2, please do a demo!😊

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks Omar!

[@mattw36]

I set mine with pretty low overdrive after a warm audio warm drive and ohhh myyyy is it good

[@BuddyBlues]

Dude it just makes everything better

[@melvinmedina6485]

You are GREAT BUDDY yessss

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you!!

[@adhaskym.a9536]

Studio in goldtop? Super lovely

[@nealhartsell3880]

Just got one after a long back and forth with myself about whether or not I needed another light transparent overdrive. Also have the J Rockett Blue Note and the VL Effects Red Tone OD-1. The Lightspeed has a clarity, touch sensitivity and 'dig in' responsiveness that I've never experienced with other OD pedals. I was afraid of the hype too. It's not hype. I still love my other ODs. They "color" the sound, but in a good way. And yes, they stack extremely well, but the Lightspeed is just so much fun to play. I'd say on you tube you can hear what you want to hear, but you can't "feel" it. But when I listen to Buddy play here, I "feel" what he's playing now that I've experienced it first hand. Oh, and I finally understand the most hyped OD word ever, "transparent".

[@BuddyBlues]

Couldn’t have said it better!! Cheers I’m glad you enjoyed the video thank you for watching!

[@kalelisuperman]

My god that tone!!!!

[@brianskudney8448]

It's got to be a good pedal Danish Pete uses one.

[@sroelit]

I’ve got a Mjolnir, a Carbon, an Apollo Approved Skyscraper (that one is particularly thanks to you), and a Heavy Hand. I’m looking at a Minstrel, a Revival Drive Compact, and a Lightspeed. There has to be a limit to the number of overdrives a single guitarist needs.

[@BuddyBlues]

😮NO LIMITS

[@funkyfurballs1078]

The Minstrel is my favorite OD! ...I might buy a Lightspeed though!

[@edcataldo7019]

The Lightspeed is awesome, they stack well with other OD’s, and they are currently very popular. However, I’ll stick with my Timmy as it is more versatile for cutting through a mix on rhythm due to better note clarity and picking dynamics. Also can be verified by watching Mason Marangella’s latest video on stacking OD’s. Great content Buddy, you always manage to squeeze in a new trick lick or two.

[@philvandel]

I have both a Lightspeed and a Timmy V3. Very similar, but different enough to warrant having both.

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you! The more KZbin I watch the more licks I steal haha

[@CARLOSVSCARLOS]

I’m getting one tomorrow from some fool who is selling me his for $100! I kid, I don’t think the seller is a fool, they are just probably anxious to get a deal done, but I’m stoked to get my hands on it; it appears to be the OD that is the missing component to my dirt collection!

[@foggyblues13]

Killer playing!

[@adylp7818]

Never mind the pedal, what fantastic playing!

[@khalil.skaf.]

Yes

[@BuddyBlues]

Ajal

[@khalil.skaf.]

Na3am

[@NoCoverCharge]

Been on my board for 9 months … it’s an always on pedal .. kinda of a baseline ..because I can’t actually turn my amp up to where it sounds good… if I could I wouldn’t need this pedal but because live venues want an anemic sound these days I use a transparent overdrive to simulate what I should be doing organically

[@TheFreeman4955]

Glad I got one, and the Southland.

[@daverenick5830]

All I know is it's my go-to OD. For years I used the Greer Harmonic OD but far prefer this model. I sometimes stack it with the Benson preamp, which took me a long time to like, and a lot of experimenting, but as a secondary signal pedal it adds some fullness to the Lightspeed if you use it gently. My only other discovery that I think has the quality to match the lightspeed is the Origin Magma57. With tax you're over $500 on that thing, but aside from the useless tremolo effect it's worth it if the jolting price is OK with you. Everybody knows all the other good ones and I see several mentioned in the comments. Of those I've tried, on balance, at any price, nothing beats the Lightspeed. I use less gain then in this demo, but it has all the gain I need. I want to sound like a trumpet with a mild case of laryngitis, not a tyrannosaurus with throat cancer, the way most OD's sound to me.

[@robb4340]

Tasty Tones and Playing !

[@kyledriscollmusic]

I've had one for a couple years and it's been my favorite ever since, although now I'd say it's tied with the Tumnus or Ultraphonix, just depends on how I'm feeling that day

[@lilian896]

Fantastic!😎

[@loopdawgg]

I use mine with in front of a vintage deluxe reverb at low volume.. i didnt want anything altering the tone of that amp and it was the only one that didnt color the sound.

[@drewg3087]

Same. Waited 2 years to get it and owned all the great ODs and still do. But this one is you’re amp just with a little dirt and volume with clarity and grit. Love it. I get it now too. I have my volume gain at 10 o’clock ish and tone at 11-12 just perfect.

[@BuddyBlues]

In its category I’m really starting to think it’s the best at what it does

[@smokepeddler]

The lightspeed is the best overdrive I have ever used.

[@davidkendall7675]

No need for V2,V3,V4 etc. The one and only version of this pedal,with the exception of color, is unbeatable. 3 knobs is all it takes!

[@aarondurham75]

Stack a Klon style pedal into it. You’ll thank me later. Love your content Buddy!

[@guilletjean-jacques5107]

j ai une Decibelclics Golden Horse , qui est surement la plus fidele replique d une reel Clon centaur ; et je dois dire que cette Greer sonne comme une Klon .

[@BITESIZEJONES]

Sup Buddy! CC here, hope all well sir. And I subscribed 👍

[@ggvbeer4339]

the LIGHTSPEED.. and a good BOOST .. it's all you need..

[@Sasketchejuana_man]

Sounds like a matchless amp my buddy had

[@DoobTube71]

the reason it is the most requested? likely due to the "Tom Bukovac effect" of recommending pedals. See also, the Josh Scott effect on the market. LOL! nice PRS btw! thanks for a great review and demo.

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks so much man! And yes I’d drink mud if Tom Bukovac said it tasted good 😂🫡

[@VisualGuy]

Its a GOAT.

[@DeGroove]

To me it sounds really similar to the saturation side of the strymon deco...

[@duskonaumovski8483]

I have the Wampler Euphoria, its very similar sound, its my always on low gain pedal, it cuts very well through the mix, i was very surprised wenn i try it as a first in a chain pedal, great sound, maybe the lightspeed has a better control on the Freq. knob, on the Euphoria you control the treble/presence, its a plus that Euphoria has a bass knob, but only adds bass. I would love to hear a comparison!

[@markhopkinsmusic]

The Lightspeed is the Truth!

[@belo1971]

Have the Lightspeed and love it so so much ! But which Greer fuzz would match it ? I am an OD lover and look for a smooth fuzz pedal , not « A Wall of sound » ! Thanks for your answer and help. Cheers from a French fan 😊

[@sethlover6498]

because it is not a klon... it is truly transparent and can pair with almost anything on the planet.... LOUD IS MORE GOOD !!!!

[@juanib18]

How to buy it here in Argentina?😢 country whre all is too much expensive

[@cozy_mellow_mood]

I just bought the Lightspeed before seeing this video. I was planning on running it before my 1984 DRV, but it sounds great after like in your demo here. Do you have a preference one way or the other?

[@BuddyBlues]

I like my lightspeed as the last drive always. I’ve bought 3 lightspeeds since this video came out. The one you see here was sent to me for a demo, then I bought 3 more after.

[@cozy_mellow_mood]

@@BuddyBlues thanks!

[@jeromeblanchet685]

impossible to dislike sorry, it sounds too good...

[@crazyblues6661]

I find the sound of this pedal being extremely close to the vertex sss or sss srv (My always on pedal) . But these have the advantage of being a full Amp in a box. Other than that great playing and tone! Cheers!

[@mdmusic2130]

Amazing video and great performance! Love this pedal so much! How you compare with The JHS Morning Glory V4 and which one do you prefer between them? Thanks for the information in this episode.☺️

[@whoshotjohn13]

Who makes the 1981 pedal?

[@BuddyBlues]

1981. 1981 is the name of the company the pedal itself is called the DRV. Confused the heck out of me too at first

[@zachcharo]

Is it GMO free?

[@AN-go2pp]

Lightspeed or blue side of the Protein?

[@andreasjohansson1990]

can I get this backingtrack anywhere? sounds killer!

[@oldtimer99]

great video, as always. Can you show how you use it in your pedalboard?

[@BuddyBlues]

Thank you! Yes sir I will, I’ll be posting a picture soon of my board explaining the signal path and all

[@oldtimer99]

@@BuddyBlues Wonderful! I'll be much obliged.

[@richgrothaus5971]

Wat makes it transparent as apposed to just an overdrive?

[@BuddyBlues]

It doesn’t color your sound. Think of how a tubescreamer adds 19 metric tons of mids to your signal? This doesn’t do any of that

[@Paul-D]

I always wonder with pedals like this if you cant get a simlar sound and feel to just having a good compressor pedal like the keeley plus. I do say this as a new comer this year to pedals. But from what ive played if you want a low gain transparent always on sort of drive, you can get that from a good compressor 🤷‍♂️

[@darwinsaye]

You’re not going to get drive like this out of a compressor… Are you talking about using a compressor as a boost to push your amp?

[@mrmeeks85]

I bought a clone and liked it so much I bought a proper one

[@BlackacreDoe]

Do you prefer this or the Barbershop?

[@Michael_Is_Avg]

How would you say this compares to the barbershop v2?

[@BuddyBlues]

They’re really different “feeling”.. I feel like I’d use this more to stack drives behind it

[@Michael_Is_Avg]

@@BuddyBlues That's really good to know! Currently rebuilding my board after going full kemper the last few years. In the past I'd put a pedal in this vein after my fuzz to help it be bold in the mix, but also add a touch of hair when I want it to my clean tone, but not drastically change my sound. I'm really torn between these two and just wish I could compare them. I do like having a dedicated tone knob and not just a high pass toggle switch. Sorry to bombard with questions, but do you think one is more compressed than the other? I traditionally like more "open"

[@waynegram8907]

BUDDY, does this greer lightspeed pedal get a very glassy texas SRV tones? when rolling down the volume pot it should get even more glassy cleans but not sure if it does. I think this pedal is based on a TS or Klon that the tone circuit is wide open instead of having that midrange boost bump they just make it wide open instead it sounds. What do you know about this pedal?

[@elonmush4793]

It made your guitar just sound piercing bright for most of your demo. Only with frequency turned down below 11 o'clock I think it sounded decent with single coils.

[@nickpatsios407]

My freq never goes above 11. That must have been a very bright strat.

[@roberthensley1906]

Sooooooo, I have to know...... Lyla Drive or the Lightspeed...... which one makes the board long term?!?!?!? Either way you are the fuckin man, Buddy. just cant think of anyone that I click with more as far as stile and overall taste. You are killing it, bro, please dont stop doing what you do!!!!!

[@funkyfurballs1078]

I have a Lyla Drive that I bought right after watching Buddy's demo... but I think it's a Blues Breaker/Driver circuit, not a Klon?

[@BuddyBlues]

Thanks Robert!! I wouldn’t be able to choose between the two. The Lyla is based on the Timmy circuit. This just means I need to build another pedalboard

[@funkyfurballs1078]

@@BuddyBlues Ah, yes the Timmy! I get so confused with all these ODs!

[@davidcarlson8571]

Lightspeed > Klon. Common knowledge these days

[@BuddyBlues]

Amen

[@dannyllerenatv8635]

I love the Klon, but this is absolutely correct. The lightspeed will work with any setup, and I mean any just as a Timmy will. The Klon similarly to the tubescreamer has its own thing going on. I actually like Klon(e)s for country music, they have a very "tweedy" and "chewy" quality to their drive.

[@IndyRockStar]

Would you say the Lightspeed is better than the 1981 DRV?

[@CorbCorbin]

The 1981 DRV is a Rat circuit. Nothing alike. Rats get to nest fuzz levels of gain, with some cleanup via the guitar volume knob, depending on the specific circuit. The DRV is a bit overpriced, on the used market, for what it is. Get the Jam Pedals Rattler, if you want a better version of the 1981 DRV.

[@rag103]

Klone isn’t interesting because most of us can’t afford or aren’t willing to spend that much for one pedal This is affordable and reasonable to expect us to be interested Ever look into the specs, cost, etc of a mansion or super car or private jet?? If you can’t afford it properly not.

[@BuddyBlues]

I really can’t tell if you’re upset with me, but the lightspeed is not a klone.

[@rag103]

@@BuddyBlues not at all. Just explaining why most aren’t as interested in a klone but are in the light speed The light speed most can afford Klone most can’t Love the videos!

[@BuddyBlues]

Oh!!! Sorry!! Yes! I agree!! I misunderstood

[@graysonward5086]

I think that the Klon is like the Analogman King of Tone. Great pedals, but they are incredibly overrated. The lightspeed is just as good, if not better than the Klon and it’s affordable!

[@iansnyder274]

I brought my klon in 2000, through many gigs and various guitars/amps. I have the lightspeed as well. They are completely different! Apples and oranges....The klon is unbelievable when used in certain ways. It's not at all overrated just way overpriced, duh! I bought mine from Bill Finnegan for $289 shipped. I used to gig with a 64 Twin Reverb and a vintage 59 les paul special. Never, ever got a better lead tone since. The key with the klon is low gain setting! 12noon -1 o'clock . Have your amp just breaking up. P90s.. Its Angus young plexi territory Dirty but clean at the same time. Instant feedback and sustain without the mud.

[@joshuamuthafknblake4456]

I'm sure many will agree buying gear online has become a huge drag ,this guy plays nice but that's not what we're after . The guitar players suffer now buying lots of crap they don't need

[@BuddyBlues]

No, not many will agree at all. There is a small faction of people (the gear page crowd) that love the “everything sucks and they’re out to getcha” train. I’ve seen several comments of yours on my channel now, and I do appreciate you saying that I play nice. But no one is “suffering”, and the lightspeed isn’t crap. If you’d like to keep engaging with this channel, I’d appreciate if we tone down the negativity, especially when referring to small businesses’ creations as “crap”. The lightspeed is a staple amongst the biggest musicians on earth, if you don’t like it, you’re welcome to voice your opinion. Calling it “crap people don’t need” is not going to work on this channel. I don’t know where you’ve been hanging out on the internet, but this is Buddy’s corner, and we don’t do negativity here.

[@vriendelijkegroet]

Just another transparant overdrive in a saturated market, it's impossible to make a difference anymore. Nice demo and nice sounds though.

[@jerrysolonsmith8471]

Seems compressed af

[@boimesa8190]

cross the tracks

[@BuddyBlues]

I don't know what that means but yes

[@boimesa8190]

@@BuddyBlues you played Maceo Parker ;)

[@ClayAllred]

You suck, you're great!

[@BuddyBlues]

🤣🤣❤️

[@kellymckenzie4865]

Klons aren't exciting. That's why

[@brooklynboy1000]

Too spikey

[@joshuamuthafknblake4456]

Pedals are supposed to change your tone ,for shits sake that's why they were made in the first place ,I understand the meaning behind transparency but it's become overused when speaking of sound . Pedals are to push and enhance and "change" the sound ,dont know what others think and i dont care .I've been a pro guitarplayer for. Over 30 years at least . People wake up . Gd amp ,speakers guitar and knowing what your doing naturally that's what it's about

[@BuddyBlues]

Hi Josh! No one is trying to trick you here, just showing people what an amazing tool the lightspeed can be. There is no “wake up people” necessary, no one’s asleep. Eric Johnson owns a lightspeed, John Mayer owns a lightspeed, Tom Buchovac owns a lightspeed, RJ Ronquillo owns a lightspeed, Corey Congilio owns a lightspeed. But I’d love to listen more about your career as a professional guitar player for over 30 years

[@darwinsaye]

Why is it so hard to understand? The purpose of a transparent overdrive is to get a driven sound that sounds like your amp sounds if it’s overdriven, without having to crank up your amp. A phase shifter is supposed to change your tone. A fuzz is supposed to change your tone. A good overdrive is supposed to sound like your amp cranked up, not like a totally different sound.